For in Dreams...

The First Nightmare

During a day visit to London, Ryanna and her parents went to Diagon Alley, a place that went virtually unnoticed by most people. They went to Gringott's Bank where goblins took them to a dark cold vault to retrieve what her father told her; brass Knuts, silver Sickles, and gold Galleons, that she would use to buy her school things. Then they went to Madame Malkins where she was fitted for her school robes, Flourish and Blotts for her books, the Cauldron Shop, Apothecary and Ollivanders, where Mr. Ollivander fit her with a wand of oak with a unicorn hair core. He cleaned her grandfather's wand and explained that he was a powerful wizard and that his wand would do great things for her in the future.

Against her mother's requests, the last place they visited was Eeylope's Owl Emporium, where she purchased a brown and black eagle owl with amber colored eyes that landed on her shoulder while she was looking around. It brushed against her head as they walked and nipped playfully at her fingers. Her father named it Alaria after the cat his family owned. Since she had to leave for school the next day, they stayed at the Leaky Cauldron, which connected with Diagon Alley. When she went to bed that night, she spoke with her friends, Brian, Molly, Abby, and finally Tom, who were excited to hear that she was going off to school, but Tom was upset that she decided not to speak with them while she was gone.

When she went to sleep that night, she was not expecting the dream that she had.

~@~

It was an eerie evening. The evening mist clouded Ryanna's vision as she was walking down a stone pathway, past a sign that read "Godric's Hollow."

She remembered the name as her father's boyhood home. She could feel a coldness sweep over her as she heard someone call her name.

"Good evening, Ryanna," a high-pitched voice said.

She turned quickly and saw a tall, black-haired boy who looked to be older than she was. She remembered the voice from the many talks she had in her mind.

"Tom?"

"I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to meet before you leave for school," he said softly. "I've been busy with my work."

"That's okay. You're nothing like I expected."

"You're not upset, are you?" he asked with a smile.

"No," she replied quickly. "I suppose not. Tom, why did you bring me here?"

"How did you know I brought you here?"

"I don't know."

"That's very good," he smiled. "Do you recognize this place?"

She shook her head.

"This is where your grandparents lived," he said as they walked, "the third house on the left, to be exact. After your father left, they lived there alone. Do you know what your grandfather was?"

Ryanna paused. For the first time, she was unsure about answering his question honestly. "He was a wizard."

"Correct," Tom replied. "Would you like to go inside to see them?"

"Yes," Ryanna replied cheerfully.

She followed time up the walk and through the door. The reception room was plainly furnished with a sofa, a chaise, a coffee table, and two wing chairs, which were situated in front of a large brick fireplace. The ivory walls of the house were decorated with portraits of their families, including the wedding portrait of Ryanna's parents, which moved in its frame. Sitting in one of the chairs was a woman with brown gray hair who is knitting a blanket of various colors. "That's my blanket." She said softly as she walked around the chair, remembering the serene and peaceful look on her grandmother's face as she was knitting and humming a tune. "I used to sleep with it when I was younger."

"That's the one you spoke about," Tom said. "You said that it looked like it was never finished."

"That's right. My dad told me that my grandmother was knitting that when she died. Tom, please don't tell me I'm going to watch my grandmother die."

"I wish I could say no," Tom said coldly. "But it is something that you have to see."

"No, I don't," she said angrily. "Let's go."

"Yes, you do need to see this," Tom argued. "If your grandfather was a wizard, and you're going away to school, it must mean that you are a witch. I want you to see what the result will be if you are."

Suddenly, there was a pounding at the door. She saw her grandmother stand, place her knitting on the chair, and walk to the door. "Who is it?"

"Tom, I don't want see this," Ryanna pleaded. "Please, make it stop."

However, there was no answer. He continued to stare transfixed at the door as her grandmother slowly opened it. As soon as she turned the knob, the figures on the other side of the door pushed it open, throwing her Grandmother backwards and knocking her to the ground. "Nathan!"

Three figures, dressed in black, hooded cloaks entered, the tallest of the three grabbed her grandmother's arm and pulled her up. "Where is your husband?"

"I don't know," she said desperately. "What do you want with him?"

"That's our business, Muggle," the figure replied. "The Dark Lord wants to speak with him."

"Amelia?" Ryanna heard a familiar voice yell from upstairs.

"Daddy?" Ryanna whispered as she heard footsteps come quickly down the stairs.

She turned her head towards the stairs to see her grandfather; Nathaniel Taylor came to rest on the landing at the foot of the stairs, wand in hand. "Amelia? What's going...? Expelliarmus!"

The wands of the two hooded figures, which were still standing at the door, flew from their hands and landed across the room, but it was the tall figure that spoke. "I would put that down if I were you."

Nathaniel's eyes widened as the figure held his wife against him, his wand pointed at her throat.

"Let her go and I'll come quietly," Nathaniel begged. "She has nothing to do with this. I haven't told her anything."

"Please, let me go," Amelia said softly.

The figure thought for a moment then released her, pushing her forward into Nathaniel's arms.

"Get out of here," he whispered. "Don't look back, and find William."

"I'm not leaving you."

"You must! These people will kill you if you don't!" Nathaniel said nervously as he kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you," Amelia said with tears in her eyes.

A chill went up Ryanna's back. "She won't make it out of the house," she said suddenly.

Amelia began walking towards the back of the house when the tall figure pointed his wand and yelled, "Avada Kedavra!"

A bright, green light shot from the figure's wand and slammed into Amelia's back, knocking her to the ground.

"NO!" Nathaniel screamed as he knelt next to his wife. "I told you she didn't know anything."

"NO!" Ryanna yelled as she started to run towards her grandparents only to be held back by Tom. "Let me go!"

"Do you know what that spell does?" he asked coldly.

She shook her head, "No."

"You will. If you go to Hogwarts, you will. Now, keep watching."

"Surely you don't think we're that stupid," the figure said. "A husband would tell his wife just about everything. If she knew that you were a wizard, she knew what we're here for."

"But she didn't know the secrets I have about Voldemort."

"How dare you speak the Dark Lord's name," the figure said. "You do not have the authority!"

"Any information that you wanted from me has all but disappeared with you murdering my wife," he said.

"You know we have ways of retrieving it."

"You'll have to kill me first."

"Let's try this first and see what happens," he said as he redirected his wand. "Crucio!"

Nathaniel curled on the floor, writhing in pain.

"Now, tell us what you know about Dark Lord," the figure demanded. "You know who he is, don't you?"

"No," he said shaking his head.

"Liar! We know that you've been researching the Dark Lord's history. We have connections in the Ministry. They know you've been asking questions, doing research about the Dark Lord's past."

"I told you," Nathaniel said through tears of pain. "You won't get any answers from me. So, kill me and get it over with. But I warn you, my bloodline is not dead and they will discover his secret and join in the fight to destroy him."

Ryanna started to shake her head. "No."

"Do you really think we're afraid a filthy Mudblood will defeat the dark lord?" the figure spat.

"You're afraid of me, aren't you?" he said, holding his wand close to his chest, wincing in pain.

"That's something that can be easily remedied. Last time, Taylor; where is the information?"

"It's with me," he said defiantly. "It's all up here; in my head. You don't think I'd leave information like that written down, do you?"

As Nathaniel raised his wand to disarm him, the figure yelled the words that struck down Amelia and her grandfather flipped in the air, knocking the picture of her parents off the wall.

"No!" Ryanna yelled again.

Her eyes widened in terror as her grandfather came to rest on the ground next to her grandmother, both of them motionless.

"Shall we search the house?"

"No," another cold, high-pitched voice said from outside. It had an air of familiarity to it but Ryanna couldn't place it. "He had the information in his head, just as he said. You should not have killed him so soon."

"Forgive me, my lord," the figure said nervously.

"It's just as well," the voice replied. "At least the secrets died with him. Come. Our work here is done."

"Did he tell them to do this?" Ryanna asked as she walked to the door only to still be held back by Tom. "Let go of me! I want to see who did this!"

"Another time," Tom said, his breath was like ice on the back of her small neck. "For now however, a warning; If you go to Hogwarts, this could happen to you."

Tom finally let her go and she ran to her grandparents' side. She touched her grandmother's hand, which was cold as ice. She then looked at her grandfather, whose pale face had tears still flowing slowly down his face.

She made a silent promise to herself that she would discover who murdered two people she had known only from stories her father told her. "Can we go now?"

"Yes," he said. "Give me your hand."

"No," she said coldly as she stood and faced him. "I don't want you to ever contact me again, Tom. EVER."

"As you wish," Tom said, bowing his head.

When he brought his head up, his features looked like that of a serpent with red eyes the color of rubies and his skin was a gray transparent film. She did the only thing she could do at the sight of it:

Scream.